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Okay we now have Bantams and I am now thinking that it would be good to have some ducks.

Any advice, pros & cons to duck ownership would be great.

Thanks in advance

Ahh will watch this thread with interest, its on our list of "must haves" 8)

We've had no problems with ducks. They have been as easy to keep as chickens with the exception of poop. They create a lot of it. And it smells. You do get used to it but it can come as a bit of a shock after having chickens.
You don't have to provide swimming water, as long as they can get their heads in their water they'll be okay but if you do you'll be rewarded with the fab sight of them bathing. We have an old corner-type bath sunk into the soil for ours and it has to be emptied and cleaned every week. They turn it into a grungy mess in a matter of minutes...

Oh.. I thought I'd replied to this already.

We've had ducks... several different breeds... they are brilliant.

Pros... great fun.. friendly, comical, great eggs for baking, good meat for eating (if that's your thing)

cons - messy - they produce lots of smelly poop and love to dabble in the mud... (I LOVE watching them do this.. I've got some great pics that I can fish out actually!!)

Pretty much everything that Hep has said really lol.

One thing to remember though is that if you do get ducks - make sure that any pond/swimming pool that you provide has an easy exit route - we had a duckling drown when we first started out because it couldn't get out - THAT was horrible.

We've got aylesbury ducklings due out of the incubator any time now...

Hepsibah wrote:... They have been as easy to keep as chickens with the exception of poop. They create a lot of it. And it smells....

That, and you can't aford to get it near anything preciolus - it's got a nasty habit of getting welded on to things!!!

Ok. I am a duck fan, and will vote ducks over chooks anytime.

Firstly because they don't scratch - and I like my seedlings!

Secondly, because they are soft footed, and don't uproot anything.

Thirdly, because they seek out protein, so will ensure any grubs, bugs etc are quickly sorted and removed from plants.

Fourthly, because I have the room to let them range and they do a fantastic job in the orchard (or in small groups in the house yard).

Further practically, they are a good sized table bird which grow considerably larger on the same feed and in the same time, that is provided to chooks

I do realise many people do say you don't need water for ducks - but personally I disagree. Ducks will stop laying alongside dry conditions. Water is an important part of a ducks lifestyle and reproduction cycle. I don't think we should deprive them of this, and they need it in several different forms, I think. Deep water for breeding, shallow or running for swilling and feeding. Deprive a duck of access to water, and the meat is affected considerably - so that tells me, it's not good for them.